Herald stands by story

The Prime Minister got it badly wrong on Newstalk ZB this morning.

She said the Herald got its story about Labour's promise for a job search allowance  wrong.

It did not. The allowance will be available only to a person made redundant whose spouse is working. We said that.

It will not be income-tested against the working spouse's income. We said that.

But it will not be universal to all redundant workers whose partner is working. It will be income-tested against any other income that the qualifying partner might receive. We said that.

So a partner who qualifies for the allowance - $153.46 a week - will have the allowance abated by 70c in the dollar for anything extra over $80 a week they earn by way of other income, like interest on savings, or rent from an investment property. We said that.

The abatement rate is set out in the literature released by the PM's office which they supplied last night.

The Prime Minister's office has been unable to state this morning where the Herald got it wrong.

One of the PM's advisers believes that the use of the term "qualifying partner" makes it sound as though the abatement of the allowance is against the income of the working spouse and not against the other income of the "qualifying partner."

You be the judge.

The PM's office also made the point that the abatement regime applies to all other benefits and that that was not stated.

The fact it was not stated does not make the story incorrect.

This is a new targeted allowance which will also have an abatement regime applied to it.

The Herald did not get it wrong.

The Herald did not take the same angle that some other news outlets did that all people who lose their jobs will get the allowance.

That may have the impression the PM was trying to convey but that is not correct.